Wire feeding the fuse box and the ignition fuse getting hot

[Guest]

I am not very good at electrical stuff. I noticed that the wire coming of the battery gets to hot to touch and so does the third fuse.This is with the key on only. I took the fuse box apart a couple of years ago and cleaned it and shined it up. I have a meter that reads amps. It was reading 5.6 across the + and - screws that are before the first fuse. The ignition fuse was reading 7.3 amps. I am thinking this is not good. Does this mean a short somewhere? I was looking at the wire diagram and it showed the wire coming out of there went to the ignition switch and the starter button and the kill switch. Do I need the clean these? I have never tried to find a short before.How hard would it be to just run new wires just for the ignition? I am wondering if anyone had any helpful hints.

[kdo58]

i would pull the tank off start looking at every connection then pull the headlight and start looking in there.

[posplayr]

The current doesn't sound bad. You should chemically clean that fusebox.

[81GS850]

vinegar with salt, as much as will dilute to clean copper contacts. Afterwards dip in water and baking soda mix. This will neutralize the acid. Dry afterwards. Shines up really nice.

[robertbarr]

There are internal spring connections in the fuse box that degrade over time, and create a little resistance. This turns them into little heaters when there's current flow. I'm not sure there's any way to get in there that isn't destructive.

I have a spare one that you can have, but I'm not sure it'll fit your bike. There's also no guarantee that it's in any better shape -- it's just as old as yours. If nothing else, you can dissect it and get a feel for what's inside. I can check when I return from work.

Redman had a great post on this, full of photos that show the exact problem. It would be worth the effort to find it, if it's still available. His fusebox looked fine externally, but partially burned up on him. As I recall, it ate the lighting circuit but not the ignition, so he made it home OK. I'd sure like to find that post again.

Aha! Here it is.

[Redman]

...... I noticed that the wire coming of the battery gets to hot to touch and so does the third fuse.................
..................................... It was reading 5.6 across the = and - screws that are before the first fuse. The ignition fuse was reading 7.3 amps. ...........

A short (short circuit to ground) would blow a fuse instantly.

A wire with too much current would blow a fuse (assuming wire and fuse sized properly).


A wire getting hot, is usally not too much current, but the regular amount of current going thru a bad connection (amps times resitance is heat).
Notice if wire is hotter near one end verses the other end, and the resistance (bad connection) is at the connector on that end.

Where fuse is getting hot is probably bad connection right there at the fuse clip.

Sounds like you have two separate problems.
One: Connection of battery cable.
Two: problem in fuse block on that 3rd fuse.

Tell us more about measuring amps "across" the fuse...

And you said "screws" near the fuse ..... hum...
blade type fuses or the glass type...?

.....

Redman had a great post on this, full of photos that show the exact problem.,.....
Aha! Here it is.

That posting is good only for the pics of disassembling a fuse block (blade type).
Also shows how the fuse plugs into a clip, and the clips plug onto the bars in the fuse block, so two places on each end of the fuse that can be a problem. Can crimp those connections maybe a little tighter and/or clean up the connections.

I did not do too good at getting it all fixed and back together, ... and by that time got a spare fuse block on ebay.

.

[scrapper]

I have the glass fuses. I am going to clean the fuse panel really well. I will start with the connections again, most have the bulb grease still in them. I took the head light apart and found a orange wire that had a bare spot and smashed a little. It seemed like it went up to the bottom of the ignition key. I got home late and got out to the garage late so I didnt mess with the wire.I did remove the fuse panel. It is really oxidized on the outside but the inside isnt to bad. I looked over the wires in the headlight bucket really kinda quick only saw one bad wire. The wires do seem a little crusty, but nothing to bad. Thank for all the help. I will clean the fuse panel tonight and then track the wire down. I will have to check the kill switch and the starter button? or would that not be part of the problem? There are 2 screws one is marked + and one is marked -.

[Redman]

Glass fuses. hum. Okay. THen pictures in my previous post are not of much use.

Orange wire is the wire from the ignition switch that brings power back to the fuse block (when ignitin swtich is on) to power the head fuse and the signal fuse and the ignition fuse.
What you described about this orange wire is not related to your 2 previously stated problems (1st. battery cable wire hot, and 2nd. 3rd fuse hot). But could be a 3rd problem if that bare spot shorted to ground (would blow your main fuse).

Look at battery cable wire connections for 1st problem.

Look inside fuse block, like you are doing apparently, for 2nd problem.

(sounds like I am repeating myself here.)

Kill switch and start switch not related to either problem.

.

[scrapper]

http://s456.photobucket.com/user/scrapper1961/library/fuse%20panel

[posplayr]

glass type fuse boxes are the worst. They also have crimp type connections for the fuse. The crimps need cleaned and solder flowed into them.

[scrapper]

Can the crimped connections be cleaned without taking them apart? I will see if the cleaning helped it tonight when I get home. I am guessing cleaning everything on electric will be necessary.I noticed one of the fuses was blown but not sure which one. I didn't notice it until I was putting them back in.it had to be one of the last two.

[posplayr]

Can the crimped connections be cleaned without taking them apart? I will see if the cleaning helped it tonight when I get home. I am guessing cleaning everything on electric will be necessary.I noticed one of the fuses was blown but not sure which one. I didn't notice it until I was putting them back in.it had to be one of the last two.

In post #4 vinoger and salt was suggested. I use naval jelly ; soak the part for a while and wash it off. I also mentioned soldering the crimps once they are chemicLly cleaned read post #3

[Brendan W]

I replaced all the glass fuses recently to find the main fuse was getting very hot. Turned out the fuse itself had a bad contact internally. See if one end of the ign fuse is hotter than the other.

[scrapper]

I did this- vinegar with salt, as much as will dilute to clean copper contacts. Afterwards dip in water and baking soda mix. This will neutralize the acid. Dry afterwards. Shines up really nice.It worked but I was thinking it might not clean the crimped part very good. Where the solder would go, on the inside. I didnt get time to go to the garage last night but will try today after work. I also noticed after taking time to look at all the fuses the one on the ignition that was getting hot was bigger 20amp than what it was supposed to be. maybe it will pop after I put the right size back in and try it again?

[robertbarr]

maybe it will pop after I put the right size back in and try it again?

It would cost only the price of a fuse to find out, but you've already measured the current at less than 8 amps.